The Case for DT at 25
The Chicago Bears need to draft a strong defensive tackle with the 25th pick and give their defense a much needed boost.
Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Kayden McDonald (98) celebrates during the first half of the Big Ten Conference championship game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images As we do every year, we take a look at the Bears’ first-round pick and the different positions the team needs, and what would make sense for the team to do.
As a reminder, I will go through multiple positional cases for the 25th pick. Making the case does not necessarily mean I believe this is what the Bears should do; it simply lays out the reasons why this pick makes sense. The Bears have some holes to fill, but if they don’t fix the middle of their defensive line, those other holes will seem pin-sized compared to the pit in the middle of the defense.
The Bears were one of the worst run-stopping units in the league last year. You can add a safety, you can add a corner, heck, you can add an edge, but if you aren’t stuffing the run in between the tackles, you are going to get gashed. Also, we all know, very clearly, that Dennis Allen is a big fan of interior pressure.
He finds it far more important than getting to the quarterback off the edge. If Dennis Allen had his way, he would have guys who can collapse the pocket in the interior of his defensive line with elite run stuffers who can set the edge on the ends of his defensive line. When you look at the team’s personnel up front, the Bears have some guys that can stop the run on the outside, mainly Montez Sweat.